Silk
by Night Of The Land
Summary: Pepper gets two phone calls at 3 A.M./One-Shot


Title: Silk

Author: Night of the Land

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I don't own Iron Man, nor do I own any of the character herein portrayed.

Summary: Pepper gets two phone calls at 3 A.M.

A/N: Okay so I was feeling sentimental. But hey, what can a girl do. It was raining, I don't have class tomorrow, and I'm bored. So here ya go. No beta, so all mistakes are mine. Please don't shoot.

It was 3 A.M. when her phone rang.

Used to all the pointless phone calls at 3 A.M. made by her boss just to annoy her or to ask her opinion on something completely irrelevant, Pepper Potts rolled over and with practiced ease grabbed her BlackBerry from its place on her desk and answered, her voice sharp and tinged with slight annoyance, but nonetheless wide awake:

"Potts."

The voice on the other end was not Tony Stark's. It was not the man for whom she had worked for for the past 10 years. It was not the voice that she was expecting. In fact she wasn't even completely sure who was speaking, all she had heard was "Tony's missing…. dead."

As those words chased themselves around in her head, her heart stopped beating, and all she could think was "how?". There had to be some sort of mistake. There was no way in hell THE Anthony Edward Stark was missing. No way.

She barely remembers hanging up the phone, her mind numb with pain, her heart beating a thousand miles an hour even though she felt as if it had been ripped from her chest.

She remembers sitting in bed, the clock ticking away the hours until she had to rise and report for work. But what was the point now? Now that she had no one to work for? What was she supposed to do?

It was 5:36 A.M. when Pepper finally allowed herself to let the tears flow.

The silver streaking pale white paths down her reddened cheeks. Her breathing came in labored gasps as she struggled for composure. Her whole body shook, but she didn't scream, didn't make any noise at all, save for the small hiccups that came from her labored breathing.

It had been 5 weeks since Tony Stark had gone missing.

Already the tabloid had moved on to bigger and better things, all writing Tony Stark off as a tragic death. For Pepper however she would not-could not- let go. Every night for the past 5 weeks she had stayed in his home, the place where she could be closest to him without him actually being here. She slept on the couch, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, willing it to ring to bring her good news about her boss- no about the man she had fallen for somewhere along the way.

Tonight as she entered Tony's home she slipped her shoes off silently, and barefoot, padded through a house she knew better than her own. Not unwillingly her feet took her to the door that she had been avoiding for the past 5 weeks. With a strangled, dry sob, she reached out and gently caressed the door knob, stroking the handle as if it were her lover. Eyes clenched tightly in pain, she dropped to her knees, her hand still clutching the knob as her head bowed and her shoulders shook in dry sobs.

It had been 7 weeks since Tony Stark had gone missing.

For the past two weeks it had become her ritual. Letting herself break down, sitting on the floor in front of the door to Tony's bed room. She had yet to actually enter the room, her heart not yet ready for the heart break. But tonight as she clutched the door handle, she gently turned it, and with barely a push the door was open.

The first thing that hit her was the smell. While the house had a watered down smell of Tony, this place was the beating heart of the scent. She inhaled deeply, the masculine musk filling her nose, tinged with the slight twang of the citrus scented aftershave he used. Tears brimmed, but she did not let them fall, as she entered the room.

The second thing that hit her was the silence. Tony had never like silence. Always talking to either himself, or one of his computers or 'bots, there was always some sort of noise. It was comforting to her, despite how much she complained when he turned his music up so loud she feared for not only his hearing but her own.

Closing her eyes briefly she made her way to his partially open closet. An absurdly wide variety of silk shirts hung from nicely arranged hangers, and with a trembling hand she reached out and took the sleeve of a deep red one. Bringing the sleeve to her nose she inhaled deeply, a single tear escaping from her closed lashes.

She collapsed, her knees giving away, and she took the shirt with her. Tears streaming down her face, she clutched Tony's shirt to her face, and sobbed. After a while she calmed still clutching his shirt to her, and stood. Her eyes red from crying, and her whole body shaking she removed her own shirt and slipped her arms though the sleeves of the cool silk. The silk was smooth against her skin and she was enveloped in the warm scent of Tony Stark. Her eyes closed once more as she wrapped her arms around herself, wishing that it could be him who was holding her, and not just this shirt.

It had been 9 weeks since Tony Stark had gone missing….and was now presumed dead.

Pepper had begun sleeping in Tony's bed. She would fall asleep at night, wrapped in the red silk shirt, clutching his soft feather pillow to her. After three weeks she had noticed that it was beginning to sadly lose its smell.

She had yet to believe the people who said that Tony Stark was dead; all they were going to find (if they found anything at all) was his body. She had ignored her parents when they told her, when they had spoken last week, that there was really no hope of finding her employer and that it would be wise to being looking for another job.

She ignored it all, because if she took their advice she'd be giving up. Not just on Tony Stark her boss, but on the man she had fallen for somewhere along the way.

It had been 11 weeks and 6 days since Tony Stark had gone missing…and was presumed dead.

It had been a grueling day for Pepper. She was a wreck. After all this time, she had stood by her convictions, had believed that Tony was alive. But today she had applied for another job. It had almost been three months. That is a long time for anyone, even Tony Stark to have been missing. The hope for survival was minimal.

So her heart breaking into more pieces than it already was, she drove to her own apartment that night, the red silk shirt, however, tucked safely in her purse.

It was close to midnight by the time she finally fell asleep, her tears bringing her no pain relief, as she lay in bed, the shirt held tightly.

It was 3 A.M. when her phone rang.

Pepper was startled awake by the ringing and for a moment didn't know where she was. It rang again, and with a frown of annoyance she groped around on her bedside table looking for it. It had been close to three months since she had had to answer a late night phone call, and her body was out of practice. Finding it on the last ring she quickly answered, but it was too late.

Swearing to herself she rubbed her forehead as she frowned down at the number. The phone rang again, and she answered.

The voice on the other end was one that she never thought that she'd hear again. Her heart stopped in her chest as only two words reached her ears, "Hey, Pep."

Pepper choked on her cry of joy. She would know that voice anywhere. With tears streaming down her face she managed a reply, "Hey, Tony."

She heard shuffling on the other end, and Tony's voice was gone. But she didn't care, as she listened to where and when he would be coming home. Snapping her phone shut she let out a cry of joy, tossing her phone aside she buried her face in her hands and wept with joy.

It had been 9 hours since Tony Stark had called Pepper.

As she stood on the tarmac, her heart beat faster as the man she had longed to see for three months was helped down the ramp by Jimmy. He looked pale and drawn, his right arm in a sling, and he moved with a deliberate slowness, but other than that he looked fine. Just the way she remembered him.

He stood in front of her suddenly. His voice was silky when he spoke, and her heart skipped a beat. In so many ways he was like that now rumpled and tear stained silk shirt she had taken from his closet. Smooth and cold to the world, but warm and comforting at the same time.

"Hm. Your eyes are red. Shed a few tears for your long lost boss?" he asked, the smirk on his face, his voice smooth and silky, despite its roughness.

She smiles at him, thinking of all the tears she has shed the past three months, "Tears of joy." She replies, "I hate job hunting."

He gives her a knowing look, but says nothing more on the topic. All she can do is smile in relief.

It had been 3 months since Tony Starks return.

Pepper Potts loves her job. More than anything. But she was in love with her boss. A bad place to be, for anyone. As she fingered the worn red silk shirt she held clutched tightly in her hand, she sighed in deliberation. Should she take it back to him, let him know that she had broken under the stress, let him see how much she loved him, or should she keep it? Not like he would miss it.

Making up her mind, she stood from her place on the couch, and made her way down the floating stairs to Tony's shop. The place that had become his home over the last few months, not that it hadn't been before, mind you, but the man rarely slept in his own bed nowadays.

Pepper frowned as she descended. No music, no sounds of any kind. She grew worried. Until she entered the workshop. Tony was seated on the brown leather couch, the television on. Her eyes widened as she saw herself on the screen. It must have been old security footage from when he had been missing.

She watched in horror as she saw herself reach out for the same shirt she now held in her hands. The horror grew as she saw herself lift the silk shirt to her nose and inhale.

She gasped, wanting to run, but was some how rooted to the spot.

Tony turned to her, his dark brown eyes intent. "You never told me." He whispered his voice raw with emotion, "You never told me I hurt you that much."

Pepper said nothing, her own eyes wide in terror. Finally she found her voice, "I still have the shirt." She managed to choke out, before kicking herself. Was she stupid? Damn it.

Tony stood easily from his spot on the couch, and made his way to her. Dark chocolate eyes met cool green, and his hand found her face. With a gentle tremble in his long slender fingers, he traced the smooth curve of her pale face.

Pepper trembled under the touch, her mind scattering and yelling all sorts of things. From 'Stop it! This is your BOSS!' to 'Yes! Keep going!'. She ignored them all, and simply held the red silk shirt up to him.

Tony looked down at the shirt she held in her tiny hand, and smiled sadly at her. He took in, and studied it for a minute before tossing it aside. With swift determination he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

Pepper was completely unprepared for his lips touching hers. Her heart skipped a beat and her knees gave way. Strong arms caught her, and she was pressed up against a hard chest, and she blushed prettily at Tony's gentle laughter.

He pulled back slightly to look down at her flushed face. Her green eyes were wide and she looked like a startled doe. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers briefly. "I'm sorry, Pep." He whispered against her lips, then added so softly she didn't think she had heard him right, "I love you."

Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him to her for a more demanding kiss. Her brain screaming at her that she was making a mistake. If she was, it was going to be the best mistake of her life.

It had been 5 hours since Tony Stark had told Pepper Potts he loved her.

She stretched in bed, the feel of the cool smooth silk sheets caressing her bare skin. She smiled as she turned on her side. Next to her lay the man she loved. As she watched him sleep, her mind wandered back to 3 months ago, when she had slept in this bed alone, unbeknownst to the owner. She had felt closer to the man then she had ever before, and right now she was as close as she could be.

She snuggled closer to him, and smiled contentedly as he wrapped an arm around her, his hand tangling in her ginger coloured hair. His soft lips met her hers, and he whispered, "Good morning, love." to her, his breathing hot and tickling her skin.

Smiling up at him, she nuzzled the dip where his shoulder became the neck. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and closed his eyes, drifting back off again.

Pepper stayed awake, listening to the gentle breathing of the man beside her, the beat of his heart, the gentle hum of the arc reactor that was keeping him alive. She fell back asleep with a smile on her face, her head resting against his chest, knowing that she had gotten what she had been dreaming about for the past 10 years.


End file.
